Gymnastic, recreational and instructional apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for recreation, instruction, and for conditioning the human body by providing an exercise board comprises a platform having handles affixed thereto for maintaining a grip, and a headrest; in some embodiments, there are a plurality of adjustable supporting legs; an adjustable area for supporting the head of the user during some of the exercises; extension arms to provide a broadened base as necessary; casters to provide a mobile apparatus, and a single supporting member on the bottom of the apparatus.

' Unite Sttes atet [191 Micko wrzgsz GYMNASTIC, RECREATIONAL AND INSTRUCTIONAL APPARATUS Inventor: Karl Micko, 3419 W. 119 St.,

Cleveland, Ohio 4411 1 Filed: July 17, 1973 Appl. No.: 380,087

US. Cl 272/60 R; 272/57 A; 273/1 R Int. Cl. A63B 23/00 Field of Search 272/57 R, 57 A, 58, 60 R;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,679,254 7/1928 Masson 272/60 R X 2,855,201 10/1958 Yetton 272/60 R 2,919,918 1/1960 l-lorn 272/60 R 3,173,415 3/1965 Rubin 272/60 R X 3,522,778 8/1970 Porath et al. 273/3 C X 3,612,520 10/1971 Chang et a1... 272/60 R X 3,630,540 12/1971 Smith 272/60 R X 3,679,203 12/1970 Grana 272/60R I FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 425,573 5/1967 Switzerland 272/57 A Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant ExaminerR. T. Stouffer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cain and LobO ABSTRACT An apparatus for recreation, instruction, and for conditioning the human body by providing an exercise board comprises a platform having handles affixed thereto for maintaining a grip, and a headrest; in some embodiments, there are a plurality of adjustable supporting legs; an adjustable area for supporting the head of the user during some of the exercises; extension arms to provide a broadened base as necessary; casters to provide a mobile apparatus, and a single supporting member on the bottom of the apparatus.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet 1 of 2 FIG. 2

US. Patent Oct. 14,1975 SheetZ 0f2 3,912,262

FIG. 3

GYMNASTIC, RECREATIONAL AND INSTRUCTIONAL APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is in the field of recreational, instructional and gymnastic exercise devices; more specifically, this invention is directed to an exercise board providing means for recreation and instruction, and for training assistance in balancing and body conditioning.

2. Description of the Prior Art Devices for use in gymnastic training, exercising and physical-fitness programs, and for recreational use, are well known, and range in complexity from the most fundamental to the greatly involved. Indeed, for much body conditioning, no equipment at all is necessary; simple jogging, push-ups, sit-ups and the like are sufficient to provide good general muscle tone. Similarly, recreational equipment can range from none to high orders of complexity.

In some cases, gymnastic equipment is necessary for a particular type of exercise. For instance, parallel bars, swinging rings, the exercise beam and the like are needed for various conditions where the body itself is elevated, or twisting, swinging or otherwise substantially moving with respect to the floor or ground.

However, there are many kinds of exercises, such as headstands, handstands and hand walking, which could be done without equipment or aids of any kind. At the same time, though, the use of some kind of mechanical assistance can be beneficial by decreasing training time, minimizing risk of injury or muscle strain, and eliminating the need of an instructor in some instances.

There are various kinds of apparatus for use in doing headstands and the like however, they lack the various features found in the present invention. For example, U.S. Pat No. 2,919,918 to l-Iorn described a simple platform with both shoulder and head rests for doing headstands, and having rails for grasping with the hands. As inspection of the Horn patent shows that it is limited in its utility solely to headstands. Another device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,885,201 to Yetton, provides a foldable board with a provision for a headrest and handles for headand handstands.

While the Yetton board is described as useful for doing more than simple headstands, it is clear from that specification that the exercises which can be done thereon are limited to those in which the board is fully supported by the ground or floor.

It is clear from an inspection of the prior art that most of the gymnastic devices are useful only in a very narrow range of exercises or operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a gymnastic training device which is also useful in recreation and for instruction, comprising a platform with handgrips affixed thereto, and a headrest; in one embodiment, there are provided a plurality of supporting members capable of adjustment to provide either a level base or a balancing board, and extension arms for providing a broadened base; a single supporting member can be affixed to the underside of the apparatus, and casters can be affixed for various purposes.

It is thus an object of this invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for gymnastic exercise and training. It is also an object to provide a device for training in balance. It is a further object to provide apparatus useful in muscle development. Other objects of this invention are: To provide instructional apparatus; to provide a mobile platform for recreation; to provide apparatus for headstands and handstands, and for various excercises where the body is maintained in essentially a vertical position. These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is another view of the invention, showing the underside thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the invention in its simplest form.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiment of the invention is a platform with handles affixed thereto and a headrest; legs with a capability for adjustment while the user is exercising, and extension arms, can be provided, or the apparatus can be bolted down, to permit the user to move his body substantially off a vertical line without danger of tipping the apparatus, in different embodiments. Casters or other wheels are provided for mobility in another embodiment.

By the use of the present invention, one who is inexperienced in gymnastic exercises involving a headdown attitude can gain expertise with reasonable ease, yet without the need for assistance or instruction. The neophyte can proceed at his own pace, in private, and experiment with different modes of exercise, and create his own forms.

By utilizing various of the embodiments of this invention, individuals or groups can engage in differing kinds of recreation, and some principles of zero-gravity physics can be illustrated.

As shown in FIG. 1, for instance, the user can practice simple headstands, putting his hands on the handles at 11a and 11b and his head in the head-rest 12, generally with pad I3 in place. This configuration provides the maximum geometrical base for a trigonal pyramid, the base of which is defined by the head and hands, and the apex of which is the feet of the exerciser. With practice and confidence, the more experienced or venturesome person can place his hands at 11c and 11d and his head at 15, thus making a pyramid with a smaller base, and requiring greater balance and skill to attain and maintain the headstand.

FIG. 1 shows one method for achieving stability of the apparatus, extension arms 16 being deployed to provide a relatively wide effective base. Three arms are shown, two being the minimum for effective stabilization. Another method is to bolt or otherwise affix the apparatus to the floor or other massive and stable base, trading off portability for maximum stability and rigidity.

With the apparatus no longer bolted to the floor, and with casters provided, the device can be used for instructional and/or recreational purposes as explained hereinbelow.

With the foregoing brief discussion in mind, a detailed description of the drawing will show the advantages of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, platform is a single sheet of, e.g., plywood, reinforced plastic, aluminum or the like, of sufficient strength to prevent its folding or collapsing while the gymnast is using the apparatus. Affixed to platform 10 is a handle means or set of handles 11a, 11b, llc, 11d, 112 and 11f, shown here as one piece of, e.g., metal tubing affixed for strength and rigidity, and curved to provide the proper angle for easy grasp of the user. Headrest 12 is movable along track 19, and is adapted to be fixed at substantially any point on the track, such as by a friction catch, notches, and the like. Further, headrest 12 can be rotatably attached to the means movable along track 19, in the fashion of a lazy susan. Pad 13 is detachable for ease of cleaning; further, for the very hardy gymnast, the pad 13 can be dispensed with. For the beginning exercises, and for some which involve the center of gravity of the gymnast to be outside the area of the base, bolt-holes 18 are provided for bolting the apparatus to the floor or other structure of sufficient mass or size to prevent tipping in use, or extension arms 16 can be set out to provide a wider effective base, the arms being affixed at pivots 17.

It will be noted that the handles 11a and 11b provide, as mentioned heretofore, a wide base for headstand. Further, however, the gymnast can move from a headstand to a handstand by transferring his hands to positions 11c and 11d while in the headstand configuration, and then extending his arms (more simply said than done), while maintaining his center of gravity above those positions. Then, in a sort of reverse procedure, after having mastered this feat, the gymnast can perform the beginning headstand, but then go directly to the handstand without shifting his hands, an exercise which requires better balance and greater strength than simply extending the arms in an almost straight line.

It will be noted that track 19, extending substantially the full length of the apparatus, permits headrest 12 to be placed at any point convenient for the user; thus, the apparatus can be used by people of all sizes and ages. Further, the movable feature of the headrest allows the gymnast to place it in various positions to afford various degrees of difficulty in the excercises. Additionally, the headrest can be affixed in a manner which permits it to move while the user is exercising, adding also to the difficulty and flexibility of the exercises which can be performed on the apparatus.

After practicing in safety (and privacy) for the time necessary to attain the desired degree of proficiency, the person using the apparatus of the present invention can remove the bolts and transport the apparatus to any location where he chooses to use. However, a flat board without legs would be unstable on many kinds of supporting surfaces where the present invention might be used, such as a sandy beach. Adjustable supporting legs 21 are disposed to permit the platform to be level even though the immediate area is not level, or is uneven, or both.

In use, platform 10 can be set up on any reasonably horizontal area, and any adjacent pair of legs 21 adjusted to provide two of the points necessary to establish a plane. The third point is a supporting member, the rounded portion 22 of of the apparatus, which is located in the center of the platform on the bottom, as more fully explained hereinbelow in the description of FIG. 2. On either a substantially flat surface, or on an uneven one if the gymnast is venturesome, the legs 21 may be retracted, leaving the gymnast balancing on the single point of supporting member 22. The other pair of legs 21 are fully retracted beforehand for this exercise.

By the manipulation described hereinabove, the gymnast, after having attained a measure of proficiency in either heador handstands, can start a program of single-point balancing. At the beginning of that program, the adjustment on legs 21 can be set for a very small retraction; the gymnast is assured that his supporting platform will not suddenly shift beyond a slight amount, and so will not throw him off.

After attaining proficiency and/or confidence, the gymnast can make further adjustments, and so forth, until he can do a one-point stand with relative ease.

Shown in FIG. 2 are casters 24 which can be used, if desired, when the apparatus is not bolted in place. Among the uses to which the apparatus can be put when casters 24 are in place are to provide a mobile platform for the gymnast who is not content with mere one-point handstands, and desires even greater challenge; use in various recreational activities, as set forth below, and for instructional purposes, also described herein. Casters 24 can screwed in place as shown here, or could be set in bolt holes 18 for ease of conversion from a wheeled to a fixed platform.

In practice, the apparatus of the present invention can be set up on a mat of the kind commonly used in gymnasiums, dojos and the like. Thus, as the gymnast is practicing, his early mishaps would not result in bruises or injury. Additionally, this arrangement would permit the user to practice such exercises as a flip off the board from a handstand position to the adjacent floor or mat surface.

For a platform without a retractability provision for the beginner, legs 21 can be adjusted to the nonretractable mode, or the apparatus bolted to the floor as hereinbefore described. Then, with increasing confidence, the bolts can be removed or the legs set for retraction, and exercises performed with the retractable feature as herein described.

In FIG. 1, extension arms 16 are shown in an optional extended configuration whereby the apparatus is afforded a greater lateral stability than is possible with the three points described in FIG. 2. With this arrangement, the gymnast, after attaining the balancing skill and muscular coordination necessary while the board is bolted down at bolt-holes 18, can move his body off the vertical, even to the point of placing the center of mass of his body outside of the area defined by the boundary of the apparatus without any danger of instability or tipping. Further, due to the one-piece construction, the board is in no danger of collapsing or folding during such exercises.

Then, with the apparatus portable and with the arms extended, the gymnast can engage in many maneuvers which could cause the platform to tip over in their absence, in which maneuvers he has attained proficiency through practice. Some examples are: swaying the lower body and legs back and forth while in a headstand position; pumping or scissoring the legs; and moving the legs in a circular pattern.

However, exercises with the feet uppermost are not the only ones possible with the present invention. With the extension arms deployed, various forms of bodybending exercises are possible. For instance, by inserting the toes under the handles at He and 11f, it is possi ble to bend the body backwards and sideways to a greater extent than possible without the apparatus.

Also, with adjustable legs 21 fully retracted, the apparatus becomes a balancing board on supporting member 22, and almost limitless recreational possibilities then are presented. For instance, two or more contestants with padded poles, each on his own board with single-point support, could engage in a jousting match; a group, standing or sitting on the boards in the singlepoint configuration, with headrest 12 at substantially the center 15 of platform 10, could throw, e.g., a medicine ball around or across a circle, the physical-force interactions being markedly different from those encountered when the body is in firm contact with the floor or ground.

With the casters 24 affixed to the apparatus, or with supporting member 22 being the sole supportive means for the apparatus, it becomes useful in teaching some aspects of the physics encountered in the absence of gravity. For instance, a student quickly learns the reality of Newtons First Law when he attempts to tighten a nut on a vertical shaft while standing or seated on the apparatus of the present invention when it is highly mobile with respect to the floor. His action on the nut with a wrench is immediately converted to a corresponding reverse torque on his own body and the apparatus. In a similar fashion, the attempt to throw a ball or other object causes him to move with identical momentum in a direction which is precisely the opposite of that imparted to the thrown object. And if a ball is thrown to him, he, the ball and the apparatus move with the momentum of the total system. Many other instructional uses along these illustrative lines are obviously possible.

In the use of the board as just described, it is preferably provided with a slip-resistant top surface, such as, e.g., a ribbed elastomeric material.

The extension arms 16 are disposed to be stored on the board by means of pivotal attachment 17. The arms and their mountings are necessarily of sufficient strength to withstand the stresses imposed thereon by the use of the board. While the attachment of extension arms 16 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as being on the underside of platform 10, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that attachment can be on the top thereof. Alternative attachments are possible, such as, e.g., bolting extension arms on at bolt holes 18, or providing slots in a thicker sheet, wherein the arms can be set.

In the operation of the arms, detents in the pivotal attachments 17 can be provided to hold the arms 16 in any of several positions.

FIG. 3 shows a view of the exercise board in its simplest form, where handles 11 are disposed on platform 10 in two separate pieces, angled to provide easy grasp by the beginner. A convenient way of determining the angle at which to set handle 11 is by drawing a line from each of two adjacent corners of platform 10 to the mid-point of the opposite edge. Handles l 1 are then affixed to platform 10 with one end of the handle at the corner, and the handle disposed along the line so drawn. Headrest 12, with pad 13 in place, is fixed in position. Bolt holes 18 can be provided for fastening the apparatus in place if desired for the novice.

Modifications, changes and improvements to the preferred forms of the invention herein disclosed, described and illustrated may occur to those skilled in the art who come to understand the principles and precepts thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the patent to be issued hereon should not be limited to the particular embodiments of the invention set forth herein, but rather should be limited by the advance by which the invention has promoted the art.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for gymnastic exercise comprising a rigid platform having rigidly affixed to the top thereof handle means, said handle means comprising one piece of rigid material being disposed along lines from each of two adjacent corners of said platform to the midpoint of the opposite edge of said platform, said handle means being adapted for grasping; at least one headrest disposed substantially within the area defined by said adjacent corners and opposite edge; and at least one supporting member on the bottom of said platform substantially in the center thereof, wherein said supporting member is of substantially the same size as said headrest, and has a substantially arcuate cross-section.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least two extension arms are disposed on said platform.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said headrest is movably mounted on a track affixed to said platform.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said headrest is pivotally mounted.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein holes are provided in said platform for bolting additional elements to said apparatus. 

1. Apparatus for gymnastic exercise comprising a rigid platform having rigidly affixed to the top thereof handle means, said handle means comprising one piece of rigid material being disposed along lines from each of two adjacent corners of said platform to the midpoint of the opposite edge of said platform, said handle means being adapted for grasping; at least one headrest disposed substantially within the area defined by said adjacent corners and opposite edge; and at least one supporting member on the bottom of said platform substantially in the center thereof, wherein said supporting member is of substantially the same size as said headrest, and has a substantially arcuate cross-section.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least two extension arms are disposed on said platform.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said headrest is movably mounted on a track affixed to said platform.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said headrest is pivotally mounted.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein holes are provided in said platform for bolting additional elements to said apparatus. 